WBRZ - Baton Rouge

Tagged News

• Mosquitoes test positive for West Nile Play Video

  May 14, 2013 10:56 PM

  PORT ALLEN- Mosquitoes in traps in West Baton Rouge have tested positive for West Nile, the potentially dangerous disease carried by the bugs. The positive results were found earlier than usual. So, crews have started spraying parts of the parish, first focusing on areas where the bugs were found... more »

• Coalition on immigration bill clears first tests

  May 9, 2013 4:04 PM

  WASHINGTON - The bipartisan group of senators supporting a plan to overhaul immigration laws has been sticking together today, amid a critical series of early test votes. The coalition turned back challenges from conservative critics as the Senate Judiciary Committee worked to refine the legislation. It would secure the nation's... more »

• BR native passing on secrets of perfect test scores Play Video

  May 7, 2013 4:56 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge native Craig Gehring made perfect scores on the ACT and SAT. Now he's helping a new generation of students facing the same tests. Gehrig created a series of test prep books and camps passing along good test-taking tips and techniques for students preparing for... more »

• NFL group, company teaming up for brain drug test

  April 24, 2013 10:45 AM

  NEW YORK - A potential treatment for traumatic brain injuries may be tested in retired professional football players, who are the focus of concern over blows to the head. Neuralstem, Inc., of Rockville, Md., said Wednesday it is working with the National Football League Alumni Association to study the feasibility... more »

• List of approved BRPD chief applicants released

  April 19, 2013 3:22 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Baton Rouge Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board released a list of 17 applicants approved to take the civil service exam to replace fired Baton Rouge Police Chief Dewayne White. The Board approved the following applicants at its April 18 meeting: * Carl... more »

• Depth test scheduled for sinkhole cavern

  April 9, 2013 10:57 AM

  BAYOU CORNE - Crews at the Assumption Parish sinkhole scheduled another test today to determine how deep the cavern below it is. Sonny Cranch with Texas Brine LLC, which owns the land the sinkhole appeared on, said their last tests showed the floor had risen about 1,900 feet, putting... more »

• Waterway dyed red for DEQ pollutant test

  March 19, 2013 1:09 PM

  DONALDSONVILLE - State environmental officials are seeing red today at Bayou Lafourche, and lots of it. The Department of Environmental Quality put harmless red dye into the waterway to test how long it would take an actual pollutant to travel to local water pumps. The data will help... more »

• Students prepare for LEAP testing Play Video

  March 14, 2013 5:31 PM

  BATON ROUGE - LEAP testing begins next week for students in Louisiana's schools, and students said today they're feeling the pressure. "You know, it's like a root canal, you feel better afterwards," said Susanne Hudeacek, who's preparing for the tests to begin Monday. The LEAP test assess skills... more »

• FAA takes step toward widespread US drone flights

  February 15, 2013 7:14 AM

  WASHINGTON - A future in which unmanned drones are as common in U.S. skies as helicopters and airliners has moved a step closer to happening with a government request for proposals to create six drone test sites around the country. The Federal Aviation Administration made the request Thursday, kicking off... more »

• UN warns of further action against North Korea after nuclear test

  February 12, 2013 2:51 PM

  UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council is planning on taking further action against North Korea, calling today's nuclear test " a clear threat to international peace and security." North Korea is calling this latest atomic test its "first response" to what it describes as U.S. threats. They... more »

• Ex-Mass. chemist in drug lab case heads to court

  February 4, 2013 9:06 AM

  SALEM, Mass.- A former Massachusetts chemist accused of faking test results at a state drug lab faces her sixth arraignment. Annie Dookhan is scheduled to be arraigned Monday on an obstruction of justice charge in Salem Superior Court. She is charged with falsely claiming she holds a master's degree in... more »

• N Korea warns that nuke test may be imminent

  January 23, 2013 10:42 PM

  SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea is warning that it is prepared to conduct a nuclear test and carry out more long-range rocket launches. In a statement carried Thursday by state media, the National Defense Commission in Pyongyang threatened to wage a "full-fledged confrontation" against the U.S. for what it... more »

• TB tests pending for people at LHS, Truman

  December 18, 2012 10:48 AM

  LAFAYETTE - About 200 students and faculty and staff members at Lafayette High School are awaiting the results of blood tests taken Monday that may indicate if they are positive for tuberculosis. Blood was drawn from those who had been identified as possibly having been exposed to an individual suspected... more »

• ExxonMobil says emergency drill could get loud

  December 17, 2012 4:18 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Officials at the ExxonMobil refinery in Baton Rouge warned people their emergency response test on Tuesday could get a little loud. The plant scheduled a test of their emergency response system starting at 9 a.m. Dec. 18. They said people in the area may hear a... more »

• BRPD: DNA analysis cracks 1984 cold case Play Video

  December 3, 2012 3:17 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Police in Baton Rouge announced two arrests in connection with a 1984 murder, after they said a cold case review and DNA analysis led them to the suspects. Police arrested Ronald Dunnagan, 64, of Bossier City and Leila Mulla, 57, of Astoria, N.Y. in connection with... more »

• Stimulant use forces LSU to vacate track title

  November 16, 2012 3:23 PM

  BATON ROUGE - LSU will be forced to vacate their 2012 women's outdoor track title after the NCAA said a member of the team tested positive for a banned stimulant. LSU senior sprinter Semoy Hackett tested positive for Methylhexaneamine during the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field... more »

• More air monitors going up in Bayou Corne

  October 1, 2012 10:15 AM

  BAYOU CORNE - Officials in Assumption Parish are waiting for test results pulled from a damaged Texas Brine cavern which could shed more light on what caused a massive sinkhole near Bayou Corne. The tests should indicate what could have caused the cavern to fail. Texas Brine, which owns... more »

• Test: Most students not proficient in writing

  September 14, 2012 10:21 AM

  NEW YORK - Just a quarter of eighth and 12th grade students in the United States have solid writing skills, even when allowed to use spell-check and other computer word processing tools. That's according to results from the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress in writing released Friday. ... more »

• Mars rover Curiosity prepares for test drive

  August 21, 2012 2:22 PM

  LOS ANGELES - Scientists are preparing to send the NASA rover Curiosity on its first test drive on Mars and they say a broken wind sensor won't jeopardize its mission. Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California turned four of the rover's six wheels this week to test the... more »

• BRPD: Truck driver tested twice legal limit for alcohol

  August 13, 2012 11:01 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Police arrested the driver of an 18-wheeler involved in a dramatic wreck this weekend in Baton Rouge after they said he tested nearly twice the legal limit for alcohol content. Cpl. Tommy Stubbs said King McClanahan, 52, of Los Angeles failed a field sobriety test after... more »

• FDA approves first rapid, take home HIV test

  July 3, 2012 11:28 AM

  WASHINGTON- The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first over-the-counter HIV test, allowing Americans to test themselves for the virus that causes AIDS in the privacy of their homes. The OraQuick test from Orasure is designed to detect the presence of HIV using a mouth swab within 20 minutes.... more »

• St. Helena test scores up despite setbacks

  June 6, 2012 5:50 PM

  GREENSBURG - Budget problems and school takeovers are some of the challenges the Saint Helena School District has faced in recent years. Despite the issues, the district had the biggest improvement in student test scores: 43 percent of students scored at basic or above levels in core subjects this... more »

• 2 percent hike in students reaching 'basic' level

  May 23, 2012 2:47 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - State education officials say the percentage of Louisiana public school students reaching "basic" achievement levels on standardized tests grew from 66 percent to 68 percent this year. Superintendent of Education John White said at a Wednesday news conference that the 2 percent increase means roughly 10,000 more... more »

• High school students failing standardized test

  May 18, 2012 2:12 PM

  TALLAHASSEE - Florida tenth-graders did not fare well on the new version of the state's standardized test. The Florida Department of Education says half of all tenth-grade students failed the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test or F-CAT. A little more than half of ninth-grade students... more »

• HIV advocate concerned about home testing Play Video

  May 17, 2012 6:23 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Giving yourself an HIV test in your own home could be a reality in the near future. An advisory panel recommended the FDA approve an over-the-counter version of a test widely used by health professionals. With the Baton Rouge the area now ranked number 1 in... more »

• Baton Rouge HIV testing advocate skeptical about at home tests

  May 17, 2012 9:42 AM

  WASHINGTON - People may soon be able to test themselves for the virus that causes AIDS in the privacy of their own homes. However some advocates for more HIV/AIDS testing feel it may not be a good idea. "While it's great that more people would be get tested;... more »

• Private school parents questioning state's plan to offer free ACT test Play Video

  April 19, 2012 10:43 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Some people are upset over a new initiative in Louisiana to use taxpayer dollars to pay for every high school junior to take a college entrance exam for free. The move, costing $2 million a year, will be paid for from the State Department of Education's budget,... more »

• Drug test first, otherwise no welfare benefits

  April 16, 2012 6:21 PM

  ATLANTA - Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has signed legislation that would require thousands of people applying for welfare to pass a drug test before they could receive benefits. The Republican-controlled Legislature passed the law over the opposition of Democrats. Backers say it will ensure that welfare benefits are used for... more »

• Google unveils augmented reality glasses project

  April 5, 2012 11:33 AM

  MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - Adding to their reputation as technology pioneers, Google unveiled their "Project Glass" Wednesday; a technology that has been compared to a smartphone for your eyes. The glasses, as demonstrated in a YouTube video posted by Google, are planned to superimpose calendar events, weather forecasts, directions,... more »

• Does It Really Work, Pet Hair Magnet Play Video

  February 15, 2012 9:28 AM

  Whitney Vann puts the Pet Hair Magnet to the test to find out Does It Really Work. David Duggins and his dog, Buddy, are our testers. more »

• Project explores emergency robot uses, controls

  January 16, 2012 8:47 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana State University and Georgia Tech professors are collaborating on a project to improve robots' ability to test for dangerous substances in dangerous places. The Advocate reports that the professors are LSU associate mathematics professor Michael Malisoff and Fumin Zhang - a Georgia Tech assistant professor in... more »

• Louisiana phasing out LEAP tests

  December 11, 2011 2:29 PM

  BATON ROUGE- State officials say a test for fourth- and eighth-graders that became a symbol of Louisiana's bid to improve public schools will be phased out. The exam, which is called LEAP, and others will be scrubbed in three years because new tests will be launched in connection with... more »

• First national EAS test not without glitches

  November 9, 2011 4:51 PM

  WASHINGTON - It was only a test, but it didn't go so well. Discrepancies were reported across the country during the first-ever test of the Emergency Alert System today. Some television and radio stations did not air the test at all. Some who aired it stayed with the... more »

• BRPD waiting on blood tests in I-12 wreck investigation

  June 21, 2011 1:35 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Investigators are waiting on blood tests to come back before issuing criminal and traffic charges in the I-12 wreck in Baton Rouge that put two children in intensive care. Sgt. Don Stone with Baton Rouge Police said mandatory blood samples were taken from the drivers involved,... more »

• Students fight to save school with scores

  April 6, 2011 5:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE- After receiving an unsatisfactory score last year, teachers and administrators at Mayfair Middle School were determined to improve their LEAP results this year with the help of a little hard work. Teachers used new tools and programs like a 'power hour' and after school tutoring to help... more »

• Vehicles went out on tests and never returned

  April 6, 2011 2:07 PM

  GRETNA, La.- A Metairie man and his daughter have been accused of taking seven vehicles out on test drives - and never coming back. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office says Joseph Billiot and Jessica Billiot are accused of selling the vehicles to salvage companies where they were either smashed... more »

• Are you smarter than an 8th-grade LEAP test taker?

  March 23, 2011 5:55 PM

  BATON ROUGE - So you think you're smart, and you've got all the answers. Well, give the practice LEAP tests a try. Public school students wrapped up the first round of LEAP tests on Tuesday. They'll take math, science and social studies next month. Over the past three... more »

• Nine BR police chief applicants miss test

  March 2, 2011 9:30 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The written test for the men and women who want to take over as Baton Rouge Police Chief was administered yesterday. Of the 41 people eligible for the test, only 32 ended up taking it. It will take three to six weeks to grade the tests. From... more »

• Does It Really Work, Belly Burner

  February 10, 2011 8:16 AM

  WBRZ's Whitney Vann put the Belly Burner to the test. The Belly Burner claims to speed up the weight loss process by burning calories and melting away belly fat fast. So, does it really work? more »

• Test will tell if BP oil well can be declared dead

  September 19, 2010 9:26 AM

  Depending on the results of an overnight pressure test, government officials were expected to announce Sunday that the blown-out BP well in the Gulf of Mexico was dead, five months after an explosion killed 11 workers, sank a drilling rig and led to the worst offshore oil spill in U.S.... more »

• 'No Refusal' campaign guarantees evidence in DWI cases

  September 3, 2010 10:21 PM

  Authorities warn not to even try getting out of taking a breath test if police stop you for drunk driving this holiday weekend. The "No Refusal" campaign gives authorities an old tool to use against you in a new way. If you're arrested for impaired driving, your first stop is... more »

• More of state's 4th, 8th graders earn promotions

  August 14, 2010 9:51 AM

  State education officials say more of Louisiana's fourth- and eighth-graders have advanced to the next grade after passing the state's high-stakes LEAP test. Students take the LEAP test to measure abilities in English, math, science and social studies, but performance in the English and math portions determine whether they pass.... more »

• State, seafood industry want long-term testing, promotion

  August 5, 2010 9:48 PM

  The governor and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries want a 20 year, $450 million deal to test and promote seafood safety. So far, BP has offered a two year commitment. The seafood industry says it's going to take long-term, consumer-confidence efforts to return to pre-spill sales, and BP... more »

• BP: No signs of underground leak

  July 16, 2010 7:45 AM

  BP says it is encouraged by early results from the latest cap on the Gulf well. At this time there is no sign of an underground leak. Over the next two days, BP will take regular pressure readings. A drop might indicate that oil is leaking somewhere else, such as... more »

• BP to start testing new cap on Gulf oil well

  July 13, 2010 7:29 AM

  A new, tighter cap will be tested today to see if it can stop spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico. BP plans to gradually shut the valves to see if the oil stops or if it starts leaking from another part of the well. BP robots finished attaching the... more »

• Study: Students in private school pilot score low

  July 13, 2010 5:56 AM

  A new study shows that a pilot plan backed by Gov. Bobby Jindal that uses state tax dollars so certain students can attend private schools is producing low test scores. Former member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Leslie Jacobs, conducted the review. The pilot program provides... more »

• LEAP test scores fall, more students fail

  May 26, 2010 2:04 PM

  The number of public school students in Louisiana that failed the LEAP test is higher this year compared to last year, that's according to results released by the state education department. 73 percent of Louisiana's fourth and eighth graders passed the test. That's down from 74 percent in... more »

• Teachers' suits on drug tests OK

  March 25, 2010 6:22 AM

  A federal judge has refused to dismiss lawsuits by two teachers against the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board over drug-and-alcohol tests they say they were required to undergo after they suffered on-the-job injuries. School board members agreed last year to end mandatory testing of injured teachers who were not... more »

• 2 Your Health for Jan. 28

  January 28, 2010 5:34 PM

  A urine smell test for cancer, the benefit of running barefoot, and milk in schools are all discussed in this 2 Your Health report. more »

• Board weighs how high to set standards

  January 11, 2010 7:54 AM

  Educators says Louisiana's top school board is poised to approve tougher rules for public schools to avoid state takeovers and other sanctions. The panel has scheduled a special meeting Tuesday, in part to tackle the issue. The minimum requirement is now 60 out of about 200. But that minimum requirement... more »

• Group suggests young women need fewer pap smears

  November 20, 2009 11:04 AM

  The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggest women in their 20s don't need to get a Pap smear every year as previously thought. The group says those women can get a Pap smear every two years instead of annually. The guidelines also say routine Paps should start at... more »

• 2 Your Health for Sept. 16

  September 16, 2009 5:56 PM

  A new blood test may detect lung cancer, what to eat when you have a cold, and flu shots at the airport are all discussed in this 2 Your Health report. more »